Pre-Commercial Procurement of Future Automated Bus Urban Level Operations Systems
About this good practice
There is an aim to build intelligent transportation systems and integrated transportation approaches to enable a public transportation sustainable development and make a car free reality possible in the future. The robotic bus technology is fast approaching its market readiness stage, but current transportation systems are not equipped to deal with such type of transportation.
Therefore, the Fabulos PCP goal is to push the market to create smart systems for the management of autonomous electric bus fleet operations and related services, in urban environments. Cities should combine efforts to develop system solutions capable of bridging autonomous bus technologies and the city's public transportation systems.
To do so, Fabulos performs a three-step PCP: (I) Solution Design, (II) Protype Development and Lab Test and (III) Field Testing. Before the three PCP steps, there is an Open Market Consultation, called Phase 0. Once the PCP is completed, the project enters in the Commercial Procurement, called Phase X, focused on commercial roll-out.
The main procuring partners and stakeholders of the Fabulos consortia are: the Public Transport Service Provider in the Metropolitan area of Porto, STCP (Portugal), the Forum Virium Helsinki (Finland, lead procurer), the municipalities of Helmond (Netherlands), Gjesdal (Norway) and Lamia (Greece) and the Ministry of Communications of Estonia. The portuguese preferred partners are the City of Fundão, Horarios do Funchal and Porto Digital.
Resources needed
The Fabulos project has received 6 997 500€ funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, of which 5 442 500€ was delivered to the different procuring partners to spend in the PCP phases. The EU Contribution to Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (Portugal) was 912 656,25€.
Evidence of success
The three consortia that passed to Phase 3 Field Testing will take place in Asprela (Porto region) where the main university campus, the largest hospitals and one of the main transport interfaces are located. The project has mapped the characteristics of the pilot route in Porto and the full implementation is supposed to take place in 2020. The autonomous minibuses are expected to lead to service level improvements, substantial cost savings and to tackle too expensive urban transport needs.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Fabulos IPP experience could serve as a model to different sector entities, especially the ones with great technological potential. The project performs many of the most recognized European IPP procedures (Call for Tenders, Open Market Consultation, Pre-Commercial Procurement, Framework Agreement and Consortium) and the use of these tools is important to make transfer more accessible because the solution model is easily scalable in cross-domains.
From the transportation sector, the novel solution presented will be developed and acquired by utilizing PCP, which allows the procuring partners to share the risks and benefits with the suppliers. In general, it is a highly sustainable driven project, as the Buyers Group believe that this kind of intelligent transportation system and integrated transportation approach is key part of the future of urban mobility that can be integrated into any public transportation ecosystem.